Rich Catino of MetalAsylum.net recently interviewed RATT drummer Bobby Blotzer. An excerpt follows:

The new Ratt album, Infestation, definitely has that Out Of The Cellar/Invasion Of Your Privacy vibe. What did the band have to do to get back in that mode?

Bobby: "Really we wanted to go back to that period of the band. Everyone in the band decided to go in that direction once work began on the album. For me, I wrote seven songs and wanted to keep an up tempo, heavy vibe. It wasn’t like we blueprinted any one song we just tried to get back to the days of the first EP."

Looking back on the self titled Ratt album from 1999, what are your thoughts and do you like it in 2010?

Bobby: "I like that record, I think there are good songs on it. Unfortunately, I think a few people in the band weren’t giving their all at the time, with Infestation things were a little more open and reasonable. It’s two different breeds, on that album we were only a four piece and that became stale because John Kalodner had us over writing and over thinking on it."

Was bassist Juan Croucier approached about coming back to the band for Infestation and do you ever see him rejoining Ratt in the future?

Bobby: "He was not approached about being a part of Infestation ever, we asked him about rejoining in 2007 but it was way difficult to achieve and I don’t ever see Juan being part of Ratt ever again. I do appreciate his writing and what he contributed to the band but I don’t see him returning."

How is Carlos Cavazo (ex-QUIET RIOT) fitting into the band and how much did he contribute to Infestation?

Bobby: "Carlos is fitting in great and it really has brought the band back to its roots, being a two guitar band. More double lead stuff is goin on again and he is a really easy guy to get along with. It’s really refreshing. Carlos had a few riff/song ideas which we turned into Ratt music… one of em is the single ‘Best Of Me’ he wrote the riff and Stephen (Pearcy) wrote the lyrics and melody and we arranged it up. Another great one ‘Eat Me Up Alive’. So two of my favorite songs on the album he wrote."

To read the interview in its entirety, click here.

Ratt will issue their brand new album, Infestation, on April 20th via Roadrunner Records - the same day that Blotzer's autobiography, Tales Of A Ratt, is released.